


The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

by teeandrainbows



Series: Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Edition [5]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - The Purge, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Exes, F/M, Mutual Pining, Temporary Character Death, The Purge AU, Time Loop, Violence, this gets a bit dark in the middle oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 16:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18392153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: It's Purge Night and Echo gets stuck in more ways than one.  Over, and over, and over again.





	The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Round 2 (angst) in Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge.  
> Mandatory prompts/tropes to include:  
> 1\. exes  
> 2\. “give up all your weapons” and that one person that spends the entire evening taking their weights worth out of their pockets  
> 3\. “lets just (kiss/hook up/whatever) to get it out of our system”  
> 4\. groundhog day/time loop AU (must go through three (3) time loops)
> 
> Title is the song that plays in XMen Days of Future Past when Logan wakes up (Roberta Flack - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face)
> 
> Please note that due to the subject matter (based on The Purge), there is quite a bit of violence in this. I tried to stray away from explicit blood and gore, but people do get shot and killed.

Her day started off just like any other. Wake up to Budapest, stretch, treadmill, yoga, shower, smoothie, scream into a pillow, get dressed, do hair and makeup, double check the security system, leave for work. An ordinary, average morning. Except nothing about this morning was ordinary.

Echo grabbed her keys from the little dish on the table near the door and took a moment to scowl at her reflection in the mirror above the table. In the reflection, she caught sight of a photo on the wall opposite her and whirled around, pulling the frame down and getting ready to toss it away from her. It would serve him right. She had thought she had purged every inch of him from her apartment but apparently she had missed this photo. As she got ready to throw it to join the rest of the pile of shattered photo frames in the corner, Echo paused as she noticed exactly which photo it was.

They were standing there, together, smiling and waving at the camera with the Mediterranean Sea behind him. It had been their trip to Italy last summer. She looked so happy in the photo. Stupid girl, she thought, angrily, stupid to think it could last.

She couldn’t even remember how the fighting had started. There had been that project he had done with that girl, and there had been her own little spat with his sister... truthfully, the blame fell on both of them. It had been messy, though, full of screaming and harsh things being said on both sides. She knew she regretted half of what she had said, but it was too late now.

The photo from Italy ended up face down on the table as she checked her reflection one more time and left the apartment, ready to go to work.

As she drove down the street, Echo kept the radio on full blast. Given what day it was, she wanted to make sure she kept track of the time. All day there would be reminders on the radio. Get home by 6pm if possible. Check your security systems. Don’t forget to buy your favourite shotgun and riot gear if you’re hunting. Make sure you have enough ammunition.

The annual Purge. Echo hated it.

She made the turn onto Azgeda Drive, pulling up in front of the Royal Azgeda Bank. Before she left her car, she checked her hair and makeup in the mirror and adjusted her blazer. After all, her boss loved to point out when she ha a single hair out of place. It didn’t fit the level of professionalism at the bank, apparently. She scoffed at her reflection. As if she lacked professionalism.

Long fingers curled around the handle and she opened the door, stepping out and shielding her eyes against the sunlight. Before heading into the bank, she went to the coffee shop next door and picked up the two lattes and a cappuccino that were ready for her.

“Thanks, Ilian,” she murmured, taking the tray and balancing it on one hand. “And stay safe tonight, okay?”

“Of course. You too,” the barista replied, offering her a tight-lipped grin.

Echo gave a nod and turned on her heels, heading out the door and back to the bank. The automatic doors opened for her and she walked inside, her heels clicking on the gleaming floor. Her coworkers murmured quiet hellos to her, but she continued to the back, to the bank manager’s office, only stopping for a brief moment to drop her briefcase off in her own tiny office.

Nia was there, with Roan and Ontari. Echo knocked politely on the door, holding out the tray.

“Good morning, Ma’am. Sir. Ma’am.” She gave an equally polite smile. “Your coffees.”

“Thanks, Echo,” Roan said, taking the tray from her and lifting out the cappuccino for himself. Then Ontari took one latte, while the other went to Nia.

“Thank you, Echo. I’d like you to check the vault’s security system today. Test all possible angles. I don’t want anyone getting into it tonight,” Nia said, barely looking up, “so that’s your job today. I expect a full report before closing.” With that, the manager swept out of the office, no doubt to collect the account managers for a meeting.

Echo nodded tersely, biting her lip. She had known this was coming. Every year, since she had first started working at the bank three years ago, that had been her job. One day of the year, she went from being Nia’s assistant to a security consultant. Apparently, she was good at it, since the Royal Azgeda Bank had remained impenetrable during the Purge. That hadn’t been the case the year before Echo first started. They had lost a large sum of money to a particularly determined group of teenagers.

“Do I have access to the materials, or do I need to authorize myself?” she asked, curious.

Ontari shrugged, but Roan stepped forward, giving her a key card. “This should give you access to the vault with the materials,” he said, watching her as she pocketed the card. “Mother got a threat last night, so she’s a little more cautious than usual this year.”

Echo nodded again, biting her lip. “I’ll triple check everything,” she promised.

That earned her a nod of approval from Roan, and an eyeroll from Ontari.

“Have fun down there,” the younger girl said, walking out to join the staff meeting, leaving Echo and Roan alone in the office together.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asked, turning away to examine a portrait of the Azgeda family on the wall. Behind her, Roan sighed.

“Going into the panic room with Mother and Ontari for the entire night. You?” he asked.

Echo refocused her gaze, catching his reflection in the glass protecting the portrait. “Sitting at home with the security system fully engaged,” she replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She watched his reflection as he nodded.

“Stay safe,” he murmured. She echoed his sentiments and left the office, heading to the basement where the vault was that she was looking for. Breathing in through her nose, she swiped the key card and opened the vault, stepping inside.

A whole arsenal of weapons and siege gear greeted her. Two years ago, Nia had collected everything she could possibly think of that could be used to breach the bank’s security systems. Echo’s job for the next eight hours was to systematically use every single item in the vault in every single conceivable combination on the test vault next door. Even though she already knew nothing would breach the door, she still needed to check everything. Nia was too paranoid.

Seven and a half hours later, she sat back against the wall, taking her earphones off her ears and letting out a long sigh. Everything had held. The bank was safe.

She loaded everything back into the arsenal vault. Logically, the next thing she was supposed to do was return the key card to Roan, but something made her slip it into her pocket, instead.

An announcement sounded over the intercom system a moment later, reminding customers that the bank was closing shortly. It always closed an hour early on Purge Day. Echo glanced up at the clock on the wall. The only thing she had left to do before she could go home was write up the official report, which she could do in her tiny office to the side of Nia’s, so she headed up there. The bank was almost empty already, and she paused in the lobby, watching as Roan put boards over the windows. Then she turned around and quickly walked to her office.

Once inside, she closed the door, needing complete silence to write her report. Before she started, though, Echo pulled out her phone and checked it. She hadn’t taken a lunch break, so the device had blown up with notifications from her friends, asking about her.

The first conversation she opened was with Raven, who had been texting her nearly constantly for the past two hours, asking if she was okay, if she was ready for tonight, and if she needed her security system checked one last time. Echo grinned, tapping out a quick reply (“Yes, I’m okay, I was busy at work, I’m ready for tonight, and no, I should be fine, you worry about yourself”). Next was Harper, who had asked a more pointed question.

“Have you spoken with Bellamy at all?”

Echo bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, staring down at the message. It was followed by an even more difficult message asking if she knew where Bellamy was spending the night.

He lived in a bad part of town, Echo thought, and couldn’t afford a top of the line security system like hers. He wouldn’t even accept anyone’s help in getting something installed. Last year, he had spent the night at Echo’s apartment, thankfully, but this year… she didn’t know what he would be doing. A little voice tugged at her thoughts, reminding her that she shouldn’t even care what he was doing, since they had broken up, but she couldn’t stop herself from wondering if he would be alright. It would be a dangerous night, after all…

She shook her head. “Stop it,” Echo muttered to herself, grabbing a piece of paper and starting to write. Her job throughout the day had been enough to keep her distracted, but now thoughts about Bellamy were starting to edge their way in, and she desperately needed to stop thinking about him. At least, she needed to stop until 7am. After all, while she wasn’t necessarily a member of the Azgeda family, she was closely associated with them and there were a large number of people who had grudges against the bank or the family themselves. It would be a rough night for her, just as much as it would be for Bellamy.

She never answered Harper’s texts.

When she finally finished her report, it was 5pm and she quickly gathered up all her things and shuffled out of her office. Nia was sitting in the manager’s office, staring at her, and she held up the papers in her right hand. “I have everything right here,” she said, walking over and placing them on the desk. “Everything is holding up. The bank is going to be fine,” she said, swallowing hard.

Nia nodded slowly, then looked up at her. “Stay safe tonight, okay?” she said, a bit of tenderness to her voice. Echo sighed, then nodded.

“You too,” she replied, picking up her bag and leaving the bank. Only when she got to her car did she remember the key card in her pocket, but by that time, it was too late to go back. Nia, Roan, and Ontari would be heading home, to the panic room in the basement of their mansion where they had food, water, and everything else they would need for the next 13 hours.

Instead, she set her purse on the passenger seat and turned up the radio, driving home. Traffic was heavy, and she had to beep her horn at several people. On the highway, she pressed her lips together as she passed a sign telling her that the next exit would lead to Bellamy’s neighbourhood.

The next thing she knew, there were three eighteen wheelers beside her on the road and she was trapped in the lane that lead to the exit ramp.

“Shit!” she exclaimed, looking for an opening. There wasn’t any. She would have to exit. Swearing, she followed the exit ramp as the voice on the radio reminded everyone that it was best to be home by 6pm, in thirty minutes.

Her next chance to get back on the highway was a fair distance off. Echo breathed out slowly, trying to calm her nerves as glanced around. She had entered a residential area, and on both sides of the road, people were boarding up their homes. In fact, she was positive one man was digging a trench in his front yard.

As she drove along, she noticed that Bellamy’s street was up ahead. Without thinking about it, she made the right turn onto the street and parked her car outside his house, staring at it for a few moments. There were boards on the windows, and she let out a shaky breath. Motion inside made her jump, though, and she quickly drove off before he could come out to see her.

Echo quickly navigated out of the neighbourhood, conscious of the radio announcements every five minutes reminding her what time it was. She figured it would take her twenty minutes to get home from where she was now. She had to hurry. Thankfully, the roads were starting to clear out, and she remembered an industrial area she thought could work as a shortcut.

Halfway down the long abandoned road with only a couple of factories on either side as landmarks, her car sputtered out and died.

“Shit!” Echo cried out, hitting the wheel a couple of times.

Nothing seemed to work. She couldn’t believe it. Raven had just checked her car a few weeks ago! How could it be dead now?

She slipped out of the car and looked up and down the road. There was no one. Nothing. Then she stepped back inside and weighed her options.

7pm was 45 minutes away. She hadn’t been driving down the abandoned road too long. Maybe she could walk back the way she had come and find someone to drive her home, or keep walking in the direction she had been driving. Maybe she would meet a trucker who could pick her up. She figured it would be better to keep moving, rather than stay put.

Exchanging her heels for the sneakers she kept in the trunk of her car, she let out a breath. Hopefully she would be able to find the car tomorrow, since it had cost quite a lot and she was quite attached to it. Echo pulled out her bag, and after a moment of thought, reached under the passenger seat and pulled out the small handgun she kept for emergencies. This was definitely an emergency in her mind. Slipping the pistol into her bag, she took a deep breath and started walking.

Not ten minutes down the road, she heard an engine behind her. Echo turned around, hardly believing her luck, and waved her hands, trying to catch the driver’s attention. A small red sedan pulled up next to her, and her heart sank. She knew that car.

The window rolled down. “Echo? What are you doing out this way on Purge Night?” Bellamy asked, incredulously. He was leaning across, looking out the passenger side window at her.

Echo flushed. “My car broke down, back there,” she said, gesturing weakly behind them. Bellamy nodded and glanced over his shoulder.

“I thought that was your car, but I wasn’t sure,” he replied, running a hand through the curls on his head.

Echo bit her lip. As much as she didn’t want to do it, it was a necessary evil on a night like this. “Look, I know it’s a lot to ask, but—”

“Get in,” Bellamy cut her off, unlocking the door for her, “I can take you home.” He even had the grace not to look too annoyed about the idea

Nodding, Echo opened the door and slipped into the car, the familiar scent washing over her. It had only been a week since the breakup, and her brain was already betraying her with feelings of comfort, being in his car.

As soon as she was in, Bellamy started to drive down the road in silence. She mirrored him, not speaking and instead staring out the window. Her hair was already slipping out of the perfectly done bun from her short walk, so she reached up and undid it, letting her hair cascade over her shoulders.

“Your place, yeah?” His voice made her jump, and she glanced back at him, cautiously.

“Yeah,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. They sat in silence until they reached her neighbourhood twenty minutes later, full of high-rise apartment buildings and cafes and little shops. Nothing was open, of course. There was another announcement on the radio warning everyone to get inside. Echo glanced around, seeing a group of teenagers down an alley, looking like they were planning something. She shuddered. She definitely needed to get home as soon as possible.

Then something struck her. “What are you doing out? Shouldn’t you be at home?” she asked, curious. Bellamy kept his eyes adamantly on the road as he pulled up in front of her building. He sat still for a minute, not looking at her.

“I’m…” he started, although he couldn’t seem to be able to finish his sentence. Echo waited throughout a long pause, then it hit her. She glanced back, where a suspicious case sat on the back seat.

“You’re purging,” she said simply. Bellamy didn’t answer. Echo let out a breath. “What are you going to do?” Again, there was no answer.

Her heart started to race. “Bellamy, what the hell are you planning? You can’t… it’s going to be dangerous, and you can’t—”

“Can’t what, Echo? It’s not like I’m going to be safe at home. There’s gangs all around my place. Last year, Octavia almost got killed, and where was I? With you.” Bellamy huffed, still staring out the window.

Echo frowned, glancing sideways at him. “Don’t do it. Just… come inside with me. Leave this here. Where’s Octavia tonight? Where’s…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the name.

“O’s with her boyfriend. I, er… asked him to keep her safe. She wasn’t too happy about that,” Bellamy explained, glancing back at the clock. Ten minutes. Echo couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t respond to her first comment.

“Look, whoever or whatever it is, it isn’t worth it,” she tried again, putting her hand on his arm. He flinched away from her touch, and she winced, her fingers clenching around nothing.

“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” he said, staring out the window again. “Look, Echo… just go inside. Stay safe. I’ll… text you in the morning.”

“No!” Echo exclaimed, tilting her head back against the headrest. “People die tonight. I’m not letting you go out there.” She turned to him, her expression desperate. “Please, Bell… just… come inside.”

Bellamy finally turned to face her, and his expression almost scared her. His mouth was set in a thin line, and his eyes were dark.

“That’s the point,” he said simply, his eyes flicking downwards towards the clock. “And you’re lucky I was heading this way anyway.”

Echo’s heart thudded in her chest. A masked man left her building, holding a baseball bat, and she shook her head slightly.

“Bell…”

“Echo, just go inside and forget you saw me tonight,” Bellamy insisted. The radio announced five minutes, and Echo let out a long sigh.

“Fine. Whatever,” she said, turning away and blinking back tears. “Don’t bother texting me in the morning.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, watching his thumb rub small circles on her for a moment.

“Echo… I’m sorry…” he whispered. Echo paused, her fingers curled around the handle of the door, her breathing shallow.

They had been in love.

They had talked about the future

They had never talked about this.

For someone who had never purged before, it took a lot of planning, and she had never had a single clue that he was planning this. More tears sprung to the corners of her eyes and Echo squeezed them shut. His hand felt so comforting on her shoulder, and she nearly caved, nearly turned back to beg him once more, and then the dreaded announcement came.

"This is not a test. This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the Annual Purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning until 7 a.m., when The Purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn. May God be with you all."

The siren blared, and it seemed like things sprung into action around them.

Gunshots echoed in the distance, and Echo let out a breath. Then a gang of teenagers came running towards them, wielding guns and axes.

“Bellamy!” Echo exclaimed. He instantly reacted, putting the car into reverse and backing away. Halfway down the street he pulled some crazy manoeuvre with the parking break and spun the car a full 180 degrees, then drove off down an alley to the right.

Echo clutched at her seat, her eyes wide. She had never been outside on Purge Night. By the time it had started, all those years ago, she had already had enough money to keep herself protected, and had never had a reason to go out. Catching a glimpse of Bellamy in the corner of her eye, she wondered what had caused him to feel the need to go out on such a night.

A few minutes later, they stopped in a back alley somewhere and Echo took a moment to catch her breath, watching Bellamy do the same. Then he reached behind him, picking up a vest from the back seat she hadn’t noticed before.

“Here,” he said, handing it over to her. Echo looked down at it, mystified, until she realized what it was. A bulletproof vest.

“Bell…” she started, her mouth dry. He merely shrugged, opening the car door and stepping out. “Bell!” Echo repeated, opening her door and scrambling out before pulling on the vest. “Bell, what are you going to do?”

“Get you somewhere safe, first,” he replied, pulling out the case. Then he went to the trunk and pulled out a duffle bag. Echo stood, dumbfounded, watching him.

“I can take care of myself,” she finally said, pulling out her pistol. Bellamy turned to look at her, his eyes widening at the object in her hands, and that was when she noticed the holster on his ankle.

Echo’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. The case, the duffle bag, the holster… “Bellamy, how many weapons do you have?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

He shrugged, and she sighed. “Show me everything. What do you have?”

She made it clear that she wasn’t going to concede until he showed her, and he let out a long sigh. Then he opened the case, showing her the revolver inside. Then he reached down and pulled a pistol out of the holster on his ankle. She arched an eyebrow, and he continued, lifting his jacket to show her the gun at his hip. Only then did he open the bag, pulling out a baseball bat, a few sheath knives, another pistol, ammo, and what looked like smoke grenades.

Echo let out an incredulous breath. “What the hell are you trying to do?” she asked, taking it all in. Bellamy held up a finger, and reached up the back of his jacket, pulling out a crowbar.

“How the hell was that even in there?” Echo asked, thinking this was all a little too much. He didn’t get a chance to respond, though, as motorcycles whirled around the corner. They circled the pair and the car, and revved their engines.

“What do we have here?” the leader of the gang asked, propping a baseball bat up on his shoulder as he flipped up the visor on his helmet, leering at Echo. She stared straight back levelly, refusing to let him frighten her. Beside her, Bellamy was standing with the crowbar, staring at the leader.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Bellamy said carefully. Echo subtly shifted her weight, remembering all the self defense classes she had taken as a teenager.

“No trouble, on a night like tonight? Then why aren’t you two safe at home?” the leader asked, laughing. The other bikers laughed with him, and Echo scowled.

“Back off,” she said, ignoring Bellamy’s hiss beside her. “Go destroy some property or something.”

The gang leader laughed again. “I think I will,” he said, getting off his bike and walking towards them. Bellamy raised the crowbar, and Echo watched as he walked straight between them and brought his bat down on the windshield of Bellamy’s car. Bellamy snapped then, jumping at him and attacking him with the crowbar, and Echo heard herself cry out as the rest of the biker gang abandoned their bikes to attack Bellamy.

All of a sudden, a huge truck came barrelling through the alley, the engine on fire, and collided with Bellamy’s car. The resulting explosion sent Echo flying backwards until the brick building stopped her. Her head bounced against the bricks and her vision went black.

= = = = = 

Her day started off just like any other. Wake up to Budapest, stretch, treadmill, yoga, shower, smoothie, scream into a pillow, get dressed, do hair and makeup, double check the security system, leave for work. An ordinary, average morning. Except nothing about this morning was ordinary.

Echo immediately felt like something was wrong. It wasn’t until she found herself staring in the mirror as she picked up her keys and noticed the picture on the wall behind her and felt the pang of anger that she remembered.

Hadn’t she done this before?

As she drove to work, she listened to the radio ads about Purge Night. Finally, she reached the bank and checked her hair before going to the coffee shop and picking up two lattes and a cappuccino. Next she went to the bank and delivered the coffees to the Azgeda family and got her assignment for the day.

“Do I have access to the materials, or do I need to authorize myself?” she asked, curious.

Ontari shrugged, but Roan stepped forward, giving her a key card. “This should give you access to the vault with the materials,” he said, watching her as she pocketed the card. “Mother got a threat last night, so she’s a little more cautious than usual this year.”

Echo nodded again, biting her lip. “I’ll triple check everything,” she promised.

Hadn’t she said that before?

It wasn’t until she was standing in front of the open vault that everything hit her at once. The factory road, the car ride, the argument, the biker gang, the truck, the explosion…

She spent the day wondering what on earth was going on, and just before the announcement came on the bank intercom that they would be closing shortly, Echo finally realized that she was definitely living the exact same day. Which meant… maybe she could fix it?

Before she closed the vault, she picked up a smoke grenade and stuck it in her pocket. After a moment of thought, she grabbed a small pistoland stuck it in the waistband of her skirt, and a crowbar, sticking it down one of the boots she had thought to wear this morning instead of the heels she had initially considered. Then she closed the vault and slipped the key card into her pocket, heading upstairs to do her report and get ready to head home.

This time, she made a beeline for Bellamy’s house. She made it there early, ignoring the announcements on the radio as she slowed down near his house then pulled to a stop at the house just before his. Soon enough, he came out of his house and she watched him toss the duffle bag into the trunk of his car and set the case and bulletproof vest in the backseat. She drove forward, blocking his driveway, then rolled down the passenger side window.

“Bellamy!” she called, leaning across the seat. He glanced up, his eyes widening at the sight of her car. Echo turned off the car and got out, walking towards him.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. Both pistols and the smoke grenade were in the purse she held on her arm and the crowbar was uncomfortable against her calf. “You should be holed up inside, not getting ready to go out!”

“What are you doing here?” he hissed in response, quickly closing the car door. Echo shook her head, stepping forward and opening the trunk.

“Show me what’s in that,” she ordered, staring him in the eye. Bellamy gave her a suspicious look before opening up the bag, showing her everything. “And in the back seat?” she added. He obliged, and she decided not to bring up the crowbar.

“Seriously, what are you doing here?” Bellamy asked, packing up the bag again. Echo shrugged a shoulder.

“Heard you might be planning something for tonight. I’m here to tell you it’s a bad idea,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her. Bellamy scoffed.

“You really think you have any right to tell me what I can or can’t do?” he asked, turning away from her. Echo stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder, not letting him pull away from her.

“Bellamy… whatever it is you’re planning… don’t do it alone. I want to help you,” she said softly, pulling him back towards her. He let her turn him around, and after a bit of coaxing he reluctantly met her gaze. Echo let out a breath, staring into his eyes for a moment, pretending nothing was wrong, pretending the past couple of months hadn’t happened the way they had, until the moment passed, and she turned her head to the side. “Please?” she asked softly.

Bellamy let out a long sigh. “Okay,” he breathed out, hanging his head. Echo stepped forward, instinctively wrapping her arms around him in a hug, and he just as surprisingly hugged her back for just a moment. Then she jumped away.

“Sorry,” she said quickly, biting her lip and looking away.

“It’s fine,” Bellamy replied, wrapping his arms around himself. “Er… could you move your car?”

“Oh… uh… sure,” Echo replied. Then she had a brief moment of doubt. “The keys are still in it. You go move it, and I’ll stay here. That way I know you won’t just take off on me,” she said, leaning against the trunk of his car. Bellamy shook his head, then shrugged.

“Fine,” he said, the tiniest hint of laughter in his voice. Echo plastered a smirk on her face to hide her doubt and watched him move her car forward. When he returned, he arched an eyebrow.

“There’s something up with your car, did you know? You should probably get Raven to check it out tomorrow,” he said, tossing her keys at her. Echo arched an eyebrow back at him.

“Will do,” she replied, walking around and getting in the passenger side of his car.

They drove in relative silence down the abandoned road, both watching the time. When Echo wasn’t watching the clock, she was staring out the window, thinking. Thinking about the trip to the Mediterranean and how much fun they had had. Thinking about how she had thought she would spend the rest of her life with him. Thinking about how they had broken up for the stupidest of reasons. When she chanced a brief look at Bellamy, she wondered if he was thinking about all of that too.

On one such occasion when she peeked across at him, she was surprised to see him glancing back at her. They were roughly at the same spot on the road as they had been yesterday… or rather, the last time when he had picked her up.

“I miss you,” she said softly. Bellamy sighed.

“I miss you too, but…”

“But what?” she asked, sitting up straight, feeling the crowbar shift in her boot. “Bellamy, I love you,” she blurted out, reaching across and putting her hand on his shoulder, “I love you so much, and I’m here with you now because I’m scared you’re going to do something crazy tonight and I’m afraid to lose you. I mean, I know it’s silly to think, since we broke up, but… we found each other when we were both at such a low point in our lives, and… I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

Bellamy stayed silent throughout her word vomit, and Echo instantly regretted it. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled over and put the car in park. A question was on her lips before he was reaching across, pulling her towards him and kissing her. It was a messy kiss, as his fingers were tangled in her hair, and her arms were wrapped around his neck.

Just as quickly as it started, it was over. Bellamy was pulling away from her, and Echo was left swallowing a lump in her throat.

“Bellamy…”

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, wrapping his arms around himself. “That was… I shouldn’t have done it.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered, glancing away. “Maybe it had to happen. We never really got closure, and maybe… that was our way of getting it all out of our system. Closure. And all.”

“Yeah, closure…” Bellamy murmured, changing gears and starting to drive again.

They reached Echo’s neighbourhood and Bellamy turned down her street, stopping in front of her building.

“What are you doing?” she asked, suspicion building.

“I don’t feel right about this. You should go inside, you’ll be safe there,” Bellamy replied, hanging his head and refusing to look at her. Echo scoffed.

“I can take care of myself, you know,” she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out first one handgun, then the other, and finally the smoke grenade. A chuckled played at her lips at his reaction, then she reached down and pulled out the crowbar. “See?”

He outright laughed at that, reaching into his coat and pulling out his own crowbar. “Great minds think alike, apparently,” he said. Echo grinned, then poked him with the end of her crowbar.

“So do I get to come with you?” she asked. Bellamy hesitated a moment, his eye on the clock that read 6:50pm, then nodded.

“Fine,” he said, driving off. As they drove, Echo watched the gang of teenagers pull on balaclavas and shuddered.

The announcement and sirens came not long after that, and Bellamy drove carefully, watching for people. Finally, he pulled up in front of an apartment building she knew well.

“Shit, Bell, who are you after?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Cage Wallace,” came the simple reply. Echo’s jaw dropped and she stared at him.

“Why him?” she asked. Bellamy was silent. She tried again. “What are you going to do to him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, reaching behind him and passing her the vest. Echo wordlessly slipped it on, trying to comprehend what he was about to do. “Listen. You stay here. I’ll be right back. I’m just going to do what I need to do, then I’ll be back and we can go to your place or something,” he added. Echo shook her head.

“Not a chance in hell, Bellamy. If you’re going in there, I’m coming with you.”

“His security system is top of the line. He’ll have armed guards. I can’t let you get hurt—”

“And I can’t lose you, Bellamy!” Echo interrupted, grabbing his wrist.

“Just stay here,” Bellamy repeated, pulling his wrist free and getting out of the car. Echo watched in horror as he entered the building, then made up her mind. Pulling out her two pistols, she got out of the car too and followed him in.

She stalked through the halls, staying just far enough behind Bellamy that he didn’t see her, and watched as he slowly made his way up the stairs, towards the penthouse suite. She had an idea of why Bellamy was going after Wallace. The man was a scientist who had run some human trials for some new medicine a few years back, and they had both nearly lost friends to the trial. In fact, she had even participated, and had been hospitalized for weeks. It had been terrible, but she just couldn’t imagine her Bellamy as the type to seek revenge in this way. Echo tried to think about what might have triggered this in him, and remembered a few months ago that Wallace had managed to get his sentence commuted because technically, no one had died in his experiments. It had been all over the papers, as much as she had tried to avoid it. That was it, she was sure of it.

Finally, Bellamy stopped in front of a door and pulled out a lock picking set (of all things!) from his pocket, picking the lock and stepping inside. Echo followed after him and rounded the corner just in time to see Bellamy facing three armed guards.

Bellamy had his pistol out, aiming at the guards. It wasn’t enough, though. Echo heard herself scream as one of the guards shot Bellamy, and the second one moved towards her.

She couldn’t live without him. She didn’t try to run.

= = = = =

Her day started off just like any other. Wake up to Budapest, stretch, treadmill, yoga, shower, smoothie, scream into a pillow, get dressed, do hair and makeup, double check the security system, leave for work. An ordinary, average morning. Except nothing about this morning was ordinary.

As Echo stared into the mirror, she couldn’t figure out why she was crying. Then it hit her as she caught a glance of the framed photo on the wall behind her.

She couldn’t live without Bellamy.

Throughout her day at work, Echo kept thinking about it. Clearly she was being given a second (or rather, third) chance to fix things. But how could she save him? She couldn’t figure it out until she was standing in the doorway to the vault, staring at the equipment in front of her.

That was it.

She still pocketed the smoke grenade and the crowbar, although she left the second pistol, and slipped the key card in her pocket. Then she finished her work and immediately took off towards Bellamy’s house.

The conversation was identical to her previous attempt. As soon as she convinced him to let her come with him, Echo slipped into his car and leaned back in her chair.

“Bellamy?” she asked as he backed out of his driveway, past her car.

“Yeah?”

“You’re going after Wallace, aren’t you?”

“How did you—”

“It was obvious,” she interrupted him, staring down at her lap, “but you know… he has guards. You’ll never make it past them.”

Bellamy glanced over at her. “What do you suggest, then?” he asked, shifting uncomfortably. She figured it was the metal and reached down in her boot, pulling out her own crowbar.

“I can show you where I got this. There’s a whole lot more equipment there. Maybe you’ll find something that can help you get in past the guards,” she explained. Bellamy’s eyes widened, then he chuckled.

“It’s crazy, how similar we are,” he said, pulling out his crowbar. Echo smirked.

“It really is,” she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out the smoke grenade and her pistol. Bellamy laughed, and she laughed with him.

“So… where can we get that equipment?” Bellamy asked, arching an eyebrow at her. Echo shrugged.

“We’d have to wait until 7, since it involves a bit of breaking and entering…” she said, “but you can head towards the Royal Azgeda Bank.”

To his credit, Bellamy only seemed slightly shocked at her revelation. Echo grinned.

“Nia makes me test the security system with everything imaginable,” she explained. Bellamy nodded slowly and started to drive.

When they reached the bank, they sat in the abandoned parking lot until the announcement and the sirens, then slipped out of the car and into the building using Echo’s key. Once inside, Echo led Bellamy downstairs to the vault, where she swiped her key card and opened the door.

“Take your pick,” she said, gesturing inside. Bellamy’s eyes widened at the variety of gear, and moved through, finally picking up an automatic rifle. Echo stood back, watching him look around the room one more time, then gave him a small smile when he turned back.

“Happy?” she asked, putting a hand on her hip. Bellamy nodded wordlessly, following her back into the hall. They heard a crash above them, and Echo quickly locked the vault.

“I know a back way out of here,” she whispered, leading him out back. They circled around the building back to his car and got in just as a motorcycle gang arrived. “Drive!” Echo exclaimed, remembering the first horrible night. Bellamy obliged and drove away as fast as he could.

Soon enough, they were on the abandoned back road, and Echo was consciously aware of the rifle in the back seat. At the same time, she was running through the sequence of events in her head, praying that she had done enough to save his life.

“Echo?” Bellamy’s voice cut into her thoughts, and Echo glanced at him. He was watching her, and she couldn’t read the expression on his face.

“Yeah?” she replied, biting her lip.

Bellamy seemed to struggle for a moment, and finally spoke. “Why did we break up?” he asked.

Echo was stunned. She hadn’t expected that.

“I… I guess… we were drifting apart, and… you had Clarke, and I had that thing with Octavia, and—”

“Why didn’t we try to make it work?” Bellamy interrupted her. Echo swallowed a lump in her throat.

“I don’t know,” she replied, honestly, “but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret ending things. I… I still love you, Bellamy.”

He was silent for a long, uncomfortable moment, then he nodded.

“I still love you too,” he said, barely above a whisper. They were nearly that fateful spot, and Echo reached across, taking one of his hands.

“Stop the car,” she whispered. He did, and she leaned across, kissing him, placing one hand on his cheek. He immediately responded, kissing her back. When they stopped, she stayed close to him, her eyes downcast, her fingers trailing over the stubble on his jawline.

“Please don’t do this tonight,” she whispered against his lips. He tensed, and she pulled away, then leaned her head on his shoulder. “Bellamy, I don’t know what I would do without you, and I’m so worried. People die on Purge Night. My best friend died on Purge Night, and she wasn’t even out. She was a good person, and she died. I don’t want to lose you,” she murmured. 

“I need to do this, Echo. Wallace hurt so many people… he hurt Harper… he hurt you,” he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. Echo closed her eyes, trying to hold back the memory.

“Is it worth it to become a murderer, though?” she asked, putting a hand on his knee. He didn’t answer. They sat in silence for a time, during which Echo prayed that he would change his mind.

After a while, Echo sat up straight, staring out the window, trying to keep the tears at bay. Bellamy wordlessly started the car again and drove off.

By the time they reached her neighbourhood, it was nearly 8:30pm and the streets were already chaos. There was a building on fire, and masked teenagers were looting a café. Already, there were dead bodies on the streets. Echo fought back the urge to vomit.

Suddenly, Bellamy came to a stop in front of her building. She glanced up, thinking her prayers had been answered.

“You should go inside,” he murmured, glancing across at her. “You shouldn’t have to see this. Go be safe. I’ll come back here when I’m done.”

Echo scoffed. “N-no! No! I’m not leaving you!” She had decided in the car earlier what she would do if he stuck to his original plan. “I’m with you to the end of the line, Bellamy. I’m going with you. We’re doing this. Together, or not at all.” When she had given her ultimatum, she stared at him, determined to keep her resolve.

Bellamy’s jaw clenched and he almost seemed to be ready to refuse, and she crossed her arms in front of her. “Together, or not at all,” she repeated, leaning back in her seat. “I’m not leaving this car unless you leave it with me.”

He sighed. “You were always so stubborn,” he murmured, although she could hear the affection in his voice. The car started up again, although they didn’t have a chance to pull away. Instead, they found themselves encircled by a motorcycle gang wielding baseball bats. Echo realized with a pang it was the same group as the first cursed night.

“Bellamy…” she hissed, reaching into her bag and pulling out her pistol. Bellamy nodded, pulling his own pistol from his ankle holster and handing it to her. Then he gunned the engine, driving straight at one of the bikers, running him over. The body hit the windshield and rolled over the car and Echo managed not to yelp.

They drove off in a hurry, finally reaching the fateful apartment building. Bellamy hesitated before getting out the car, glancing at her, and Echo let out a breath.

“Together, or not at all,” she reminded him, and he nodded. Echo carried both pistols while he prepared the rifle and she followed behind him, tucking one pistol in the waistband of her pencil skirt and pulling out the smoke grenade.

They made their way through the building to the door where Bellamy picked the lock. Inside, they were met with the three guards, who Bellamy quickly took out with the rifle. Echo glanced at him, her eyes widened, and was met with the sight of her ex boyfriend shaking, holding the rifle, staring at the three bodies.

“Hey…” she whispered, putting the grenade back in her bag and resting her hand on his arm, “it’s okay…”

“It’s not,” Bellamy whispered back, his voice shaking, “I don’t think… I can do this…”

Echo set her jaw, putting her second pistol in her waistband and gently prying the rifle out of his hands, setting it on the floor.

“Then don’t. Don’t do it. Let’s just get out of here,” she murmured against his ear, rubbing his arm. For a moment, it seemed like he would listen to her, would turn back, but then he let out a shout.

Echo felt like time was standing still as she turned to see Cage Wallace standing with a pistol aimed at the pair of them. She found herself thinking if there was an optimal moment for time to reset on her again, this was it. Wallace moved to fire, and Bellamy grabbed at her waist, pulling her close… or was he?

There was a gunshot, and Echo cried out, falling to her knees. The roaring in her ears slowly died off and she lowered her arms from her face, peeking out. She didn’t seem to be shot. Bellamy was still standing, holding a pistol out, and Wallace was… on the floor, moaning. She took a closer look and realized that Bellamy had shot the man in the arm, somehow. Whether he had actually aimed, or it had been luck, she could not say. All Echo knew was that out of her, Bellamy, and Wallace, none of them were dead.

Bellamy was staring at the pistol in his hand in shock, the pistol he had grabbed from her waistband. Echo slowly stood up, glancing first at the moaning Wallace and then at Bellamy.

“Let’s get out of here,” she murmured, taking his arm and pulling him away. He let her, and they left the rifle there. On the way down the stairs, Echo stopped, letting out a shaky breath.

“Shit…” she whispered, clutching to the railing. Bellamy took her hand and squeezed it gently, and she nodded. They continued down the stairs and out the door. Thankfully, his car was still there.

They drove in silence to Echo’s street, stopping in front of her apartment building. Bellamy sat in silence for a moment, glancing at her.

“Together or not at all,” Echo reminded him, reaching across and holding his hand. Bellamy nodded, and they both got out of the car and headed up the stairs to Echo’s apartment, where her top of the line security system would protect them for the remainder of the night.

Once the security system was armed, Echo walked over to the couch in her living room and sank onto it. Bellamy followed her, sitting beside her, and she leaned her head on his shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re alive,” she whispered, glancing over at him. Bellamy nodded, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re alive too,” he replied, glancing around the room. His gaze fell on the pile of shattered photo frames. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked, lifting her head and looking at him.

“For being a jerk. About everything. For listening to everyone else when I should have been talking to you.” Bellamy looked so sincere, and Echo let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry too. Ditto,” she murmured, snuggling in closer to him. “Do you think we could maybe try to be friends?”

Bellamy hesitated, glancing down at her. “I don’t know if I could manage just being friends,” he replied, arching an eyebrow. Echo grinned.

“Well… we could just… you know… one more time… get it out of our system,” she suggested, winking at him. Bellamy chuckled.

“You’re something else, Echo,” he said, bending down and kissing her gently. Echo beamed.

“I love you, Bell,” she murmured against his lips. He smiled.

“I love you too.”

= = = = = 

The next morning, her day started off with her bolting upright in her bed, glancing around wide-eyed, waiting for Budapest to be playing. It wasn’t. Then she glanced down to see Bellamy looking up at her, concern in his eyes, his hand on her hip from when she had pulled out of his embrace. That’s when it hit her, that she had finally broken the time loop. She was free. They were alive.

When the sirens blared a moment later, signalling the end to the Purge, she let out a sigh of relief and slowly lowered herself back into bed, gazing into Bellamy’s eyes. She had half a mind to call Roan and tell him she wouldn’t be coming in to work. Instead, she wanted to stay with Bellamy all day.

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is the longest fic I have ever written and to be honest while it's unedited I'm really proud of it.


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